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Have you heard this story?

A Long Island deli owner who held a robber at gunpoint, then let him go after giving him $40 and a loaf of bread, says he got an anonymous letter from the crook that included a $50 bill and a thank-you for saving him from a life of crime.

The mysterious writer apologized to his would-be victim, Mohammad Sohail, saying, "First of all I would like to say I am sorry at the time I had [no] money no food on the table no job and nothing for my family."

Similar to comments he made on his knees during the incident last May, he said he realized that trying to rob the store with a baseball bat "was wrong but I had [no] choice. I needed to feed my family."
PAYBACK: Mohammad Sohail, alongside Post clippings that told his story in May, yesterday shows the letter (below) and $50 he got from the would-be robber he sent out of his deli with $40, bread and a blessing.

Can we please put the personal crusades against all other religions but your own aside for a minute and enjoy this for what it is!?!

A man was shown a light at the end of a dark tunnel he thought to be endless and is now thanking the man who gave him that. Honestly I don't see what the 'my religion is better then yours' BS has to do with this at all. Be happy for the fact he found a different way to handle his problems besides violence. Be it Islam, Christianity or playing football! Is that possible for some of ya'll? This is a story of a desperate man being helped off his knees, literally and figuratively, NOT about religion! And it's my opinion we need more of these good will stories instead of worrying about how many mistresses Tiger Woods has!!!

The letter claimed, "When you had that gun to my head I was 100% that I was going to die," and said he begged to convert to Islam at that moment only because he feared death.

But the letter-writer said he actually did convert, "decided to become a true Muslim," and turned his life around after Sohail, 47, spared his life.

"Now I have a new child and good job make good money staying out of trouble and taking care of my family. You gave me forty dollars thank you for sparing my life Because of that you change my life."

The letter was signed in type: "Your Muslim Brother."

"That's the same guy I gave $40 to," said Sohail, 62, displaying the typewritten letter at his Shirley Express deli yesterday. There was no return address. It was mailed on Long Island the week before Thanksgiving.

"I'm really thrilled," said Sohail. "I'm very happy for that guy, because he is now doing good for the community.

"He has a job and he is a good person. I really feel great. Thank God he's doing good. He's got a new baby and he's not in jail," said Sohail.

"When you do good things for somebody, it comes back to you. I gave him $40 and he sent me back $50. It was a good investment," Sohail laughed.

During the robbery attempt, the failed thief brandished a baseball bat and demanded cash.

But Sohail pulled out a 9mm rifle and disarmed the man -- who pleaded for his life on his knees before the deli counter, crying, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" and tearfully claiming his family had fallen on hard times.

Suffolk County police declined to comment until they had a chance to look at the letter. Detectives, using video surveillance film of the would-be thief, investigated the robbery but were unable to locate or name the suspect.

Well if he had killed him it would have probably been in self defense. Muslims do get to defend themselves in the land of the free or does the law not apply to them? damn your bigotry really shows. how many muslims have you converted to your faith?????

Answer by
Anonymous
at 9:37 PM on Dec. 3, 2009

i just finished reading this story and posting it to my journals and then i see it here.

It amazes me how God works to make his Will come about. This is a special story indeed.

But Sohail pulled out a 9mm rifle and disarmed the man -- who pleaded for his life on his knees before the deli counter, crying, "I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" and tearfully claiming his family had fallen on hard times.

I am not a bigot. I read the article. He wouldn't have been defending himself if he shot a man on his knees pleading for his life. I said that in general it was a nice story. You even said in your response : Well if he had killed him it would have probably been in self defense. I think we would probably never know. Oh, and I wouldn't care if he converted to satanism. I just wonder what might have happened had he not begged to convert.